'Oakenshield! LET ME OUT!'
Seriously. If Smaug hadn't killed that stubborn dwarf king already, she definitely wanted the honor. Enya groaned and shoved herself against the marble door. All that talk about accepting her and her powers, allowing her to do her thing and then instead of trusting her on this… LOCK HER UP?!
Enya gritted her teeth. Although she couldn't see a damn thing in here, she felt her cheeks burning hot with shame. What could have been a faulty door, the lack of Thorin's presence, his voice promising her to get her out as fast as possible made it all too clear. She felt stupid for walking into his trap, for thinking he would finally stop overprotecting her. She should have known better, but there she was, in the narrow corridor that Thorin earlier had described as the fastest path down into Erebor. And the worst was that this was all due to the fact that her brain had been too infatuated by their earlier lovemaking to pay attention…..
'Oh girl, but it WAS something…' her mind mused.
Enya heaved a sigh. Yes it was. She really didn't need her stupid brain to remind her how fantastic sex with Thorin was, she remembered quite well on her own. But right now, the dim and airless void made her nervous. She never really enjoyed being in the dark, especially not in a hallway that made her claustrophobic. In other words, she had to find a way out. She quickly filled her palms with fire and warm orange light filled the small passage, allowing herself to explore her surroundings. She paced into the direction from whence they came and cursed under her breath when she met a dead end. Great! Thorin must have closed the entrance after her. Enya pushed against the flat marble surface and growled when it didn't give in. She studied the exterior by tracing her fingers over the stone, in an effort to discover a crack. This was absolutely ridiculous. She came through a door in this specific spot just five minutes ago. There had to be an opening somewhere!
But there was nothing.
'Strange…' she whispered and turned around. Since one access point was Thrain's royal study, she suspected this passage was made for the Durin family only. And since one Durin locked her up in the first place and the remaining two weren't around to save her ass, she could conclude that no living soul was going to find her here.
'Except if Dís shows up in Erebor…' her mind chatted. 'But that seems highly unlikely, don't you think?'
Yep, so just one stubborn dwarven king knew she was here and he wasn't going to retrieve her anytime soon. Ugh. Those were definitely not encouraging thoughts when you needed your mind to come up with smart suggestions…
Enya looked around. With her flames lighting up the way, Enya discovered the corridor was small, but not as claustrophobic as it had felt a few moments ago. She heaved a sigh. The walls consisted of plain marble stone, but above her head there was a row of richly decorated ones, displaying the royal bloodline and scenes from their everyday life. The ceiling was made out of plain marble again, the surface so smooth one would think it actually was one piece. Enya arched an eyebrow, not daring to think about how it got up there without the techniques of the modern world. Even this little passages like this showed her the mighty skills of the dwarven race.
The floor consisted of a beautiful mosaic image, the bluish colors shining bright in the light of Enya's flames. She followed its trail towards the other end while revering in its beauty. The image depicted the Durin's folks' royal bloodline. Under her feet she discovered Durin I, also called 'the deathless', and he was followed by his successors Durin II, III, IV, V and VI. Then there came a Náin I and Thráin I, and after them Thorin I, who (if she remembered this right) decided to leave the lonely mountain to find more fortune in the Grey Mountains. Enya walked along the blue line and admired the craftmanship. Ah, there was Dáin I, Thorin's great grandfather, the one who got slain by a cold-drake. She glanced over to the other forefathers and shivered. Too many lives of the line of Durin were taken by dragons. She had to prevent Smaug from putting yet another name on that list…
Finally she reached Thorin's grandfather Thrór and stood still for a moment. Thrór was the last one on the family tree… This couldn't be right?! Enya knitted her brows together.
'Oh! Right, kings.' She then muttered to herself. 'Thorin and Thráin weren't kings at the time the lonely mountain…'
The words lingered on her lips, but she didn't dare to finish her sentence, suddenly feeling wary it could bring bad luck to speak of those bad events. She bit her lip and got on her knees. She carefully let her flame floating in the air before she started exploring the patterns of stones under her. There had to be a button, a handle, or at least a hint in here. Because, after all, she found it highly unlikely that Erebor consisted solely of hidden doors. She refused to believe that there wasn't a way out.
Her heart stopped a few times when her fingers found a few rough edges, but other than that nothing seemed out of the ordinary. She glanced over the next few meters of floor and established that the change a clue was hidden in the floor, was pretty slim. Maybe the carvings on the walls contained a sign. She got up and began her search.
After what felt like hours of concentrated work she crashed down against the wall and rested the back of her head on the cool marble. This was ridiculous! There had to be a way out, and she currently was too blind to see the obvious. Or… the other possibility made her a bit apprehensive. What if there wasn't one and she was going to perish in here? Enya quickly dismissed the thought again and rolled her eyes. Although Thorin was a selfish stubborn bastard, he wouldn't let her die in here. At least, that was if he hadn't lost his sanity today. Absentmindedly she stared at her fire crawling back into her hand again, the flames calmly licking her palm. Then her gaze shifted at the image that was carved into the stone above her.
Could that be…?
Balin had told her all about the history of Durin's folk, and especially the magnificence of Thrór's throne. The throne which contained the Arkenstone. She shot up, a hesitant smile displayed on her lips. Oh, she should have seen this one earlier. She had been a fool after all, and a blind one too. Enya stood on her toes and her fingers found the small oval-shaped carving, gently giving it a push. The stone protested, the tiny mechanism behind it was probably rigid after not being used for a few decades. Enya heard a soft click and prayed that the clever dwarven engineering had passed the test of time. With a squeaking sound the piece of marble before her made way for a moderately sized opening. She took a deep breath and stepped through it.
At that exact moment, the mountain under her came to life. The majestic structure shook in its foundations, almost causing Enya to lose her balance. Her flames shot from her palms into the dark void as she steadied herself against the wall. She frowned when her surroundings lit up. She had expected another (rather endless) corridor, but she actually had stepped onto an old spiral staircase, that stretched down as far as she could see. The stairs were, just like the passage, made from plain marble. Beautiful marble branches that were carved into the railing stretched out before her, inviting her to come along. Enya took a few steps down, enjoying the stone patterns gliding smoothly under her hands. She smiled when her fingers discovered a tiny marble rose, sticking out from one of the branches. To be honest, one wouldn't expect that dwarves were so fond of nature to take time to create a masterpiece like this. Of course, they were capable of making the most exquisite and delicate things, but more often the inspiration did not lie in the wonders of the wild. She took another step down and peered into the darkness beneath her. The staircase went further down. She heaved a sigh. Well, she probably should-
Another violent roar rumbled through the stone and she clenched onto the railing. The mountain seemed to groan in protest of the events that took place down below her. Enya took a deep breath, a shiver passing through her spine. She knew all too well what was causing this sound, and it certainly was no earthquake. There was no time left to spare, she had to move. She had to be there before all hell was going to break loose.
Dragon.
Enya descended the stairs as fast as she possibly could go, consequently tripping over her own feet. The mountain started to growl around her again and she groaned in response. If she kept going in this fast but yet too slow pace, the whole company would be nothing more than a pile of ash once she finally arrived.
'Brilliant idea, Thorin…' she murmured while she regained her balance and proceeded her way down again. 'Depriving your followers of the one thing that can save their and your rather perfectly tight ass! Splendid notion! If you won't get scorched by that damned fire drake, then I will-'
A surprised shriek left her mouth as she missed a step and collapsed down the stairs. Her body froze and her hands automatically shot forward, in an attempt to protect herself and break the fall. She closed her eyes and readied herself for the inevitable smack. A crackling sound reached her ears and the air got pushed out of her lungs as she crashed down on the stone steps. A sharp pain shot through her body as it received the blow and Enya hissed. Her muscles relaxed and for a moment she laid there, her eyes closed and her body still.
'Babe, instead of getting all worked up, you should probably watch where you are going…' her mind told her. 'Or did you intend to study the marble of this specific step?'
'Oh, shut up.' she grumbled. 'I'm so done right now.'
Well, fuck. That hurt.
But not as bad as she had thought it would.
The surface under her was hard and cold as hell, but not quite as uneven as she expected. Enya finally peered through her lashes and heaved a sigh. Her instinct had, once again, saved her from disaster. She was laying, face down, on a whimsical ice sculpture. The ice was dramatically draped across the stairs, a sturdy edge preventing her from sliding any further. She scrambled herself together and got on her knees as she studied her own piece of art.
'Well, if anyone asks what I was up to today…' she murmured. 'I was producing art that would make any sculptor proud.'
She shook her head and heaved a sigh. Alright, she could cross "making a life sized sculpture" off her bucket list, but the real question here was how on earth she could get down without tripping over another thousand times…
A devious smile appeared on her lips when she watched some water trickle down onto the next step. Of course. When life gives you lemons…
You'd better make one hell of a lemonade.
She crawled towards the edge of her sculpture and reached out. Water dripped from her hands, first slowly but then accelerating into a waterfall. Enya turned her hands a little, guiding the water into a stream and freezing the fluid into an icy slope. She waited until she believed her water had moved down enough.
Enya took a deep breath, ignoring the nervous pit that grew in her stomach. It had been at least one (and probably a hell of a lot more) decade since she had gone down a slide, and those structures back home were a hundred percent safe. She peered down her self-made version and made a face. She had no idea where she was going, or if the staircase further down was destroyed. She had to be totally bonkers to do this.
Well. Yeah. Was there really a choice? It couldn't be worse than going through portals, could it? She just was going to slide down and in the process making around a hundred loops or so. Her icy slide should be safe enough, she had to trust her own engineering on this one. Enya nodded slowly and took another deep breath before lowering herself down on the slope.
Alright. Now all she needed was a gush of wind to keep her going.
She closed her eyes, focusing on the air around her. She exhaled slowly and a soft breeze pushed her forward. Her nails dragged halfheartedly over the slope, a part of her being not willing to let go yet. An unspoken question burned on her lips.
'What if I will fall?'
'But oh, darling…' her mind purred in response. 'What if you fly…'
After the mountain would be reclaimed and Fíli and Kíli had rejoined them, she would definitely ask them to do this again. She knew those devious bastards would enjoy this at least as much. The wind blew through her hair and Enya threw her hands up, a light-hearted giggle escaping her lips. This was awesome. The slide took her round and round, swiftly taking her down to her destination. Enya watched the scenery on the railing gradually change. The flowers disappeared and the branches came together into one thick stem, which had a fantastically pattern carves into it. She went too fast to distinguish every little detail of the trunk, but she got the overall idea. The railing seemed to be, in her mind anyway, a tree. And since she only passed the tree trunk anyway, she guessed it was a long way down. She could only hope her handiwork reached that far too.
By the time the railing had shifted into tree roots (that were holding marble rocks and even tiny bones) Enya had stopped already once to peer down the staircase. Her head was spinning from the last 500 loops she just made (alright, it probably weren't that many, but sure as hell felt like it) and a little break was much needed.
'So far for my hurry…' she murmured to herself. Getting there in time was one thing, but if it meant her dazed brain would see three dragons instead of one, she doubted she would be of any aid. She raised a hand and released a large flame into the void. She watched it floating down and tried to establish the number of loops she had to endure.
'Okay.' She muttered. 'At least five. We should be fine.'
She sat down on the slope again and a short blow from behind set her off again. She took a deep breath and counted as she tried to not give attention to this weak feeling in her stomach.
The tree roots on the railing seemed to change, they grew thinner and thinner until most lines disappeared, only to be replaced by rocks and stones. Enya grinned. This meant she was getting closer towards her destination, whatever that may be. Probably not the dungeons, but another place the royal family needed quick access to. The heart of the mountain, the most important place in dwarven society…
Her heart made a leap when her flame, floating just a few loops before her, seemed to stop. At last, her sliding journey was coming to an end! She slowed down and then got up to descend the last few steps on foot. Her legs felt a little wobbly, but other than that, she could conclude this new manner of transportation had more or less passed the test. She motioned her fire to follow her and gazed around the room. The staircase leaded into a round space, again closed off. Enya heaved a sigh and studied the walls, in search for another hidden doorway. But, luckily for her, this side of the passage wasn't so secret. A massive door, seemingly consisting of the stone from this very mountain, stood before her. Enya gripped the sturdy ring that was hammered into the stone and pulled. When the door didn't oblige, she threw herself against it and pushed.
Nothing!
She rolled her eyes, wondering if these "not knowing to push or pull" problems were strictly reserved for the beings from her world, or if the women in middle earth came across likewise situations.
'Probably not.' Her mind mused. 'But they encounter other problems like-'
Enya shook her head and focused on the door instead. Maybe with the right amount of force… She inhaled slowly, her senses extremely aware of the movement in the air around her. The hairs on her arms stood up, the atmosphere grew heavy, prickling with anticipation like a silence before the storm. Then she released her power and with a violent roar the door blew open, the hinges squealing. With a deafening smack stone crashed into stone and Enya stepped over the threshold.
Indeed, she had winded up somewhere down in the forges. Four enormous round furnaces stood in a row at the right side of the room. On the left, the space was closed off by a latticework of iron pillars. In the middle of the room stood four dwarves and one hobbit. Enya heaved a relieved sigh. She hadn't expected to find the company so quickly again, but there they were: looking frightened, but yet unharmed and-
Wait a minute.
Where was their charming leader? And Dwalin? Or Nori? And what about Bifur and Gloin? Where was everybody? Enya took a sprint towards the company. The area behind the iron latticework seemed to be a large hallway and in the distance she heard Dwalin shouting Thorin's name, accompanied by the smashing sound of an axe into something metal. Her heart skipped a bit.
'Thank mahal!' Balin exclaimed. 'I thought we had to stand up against that vile thing without our fire witch!'
'Not a chance in hell. 'Enya huffed. 'I just took a detour. Where is everyone?!'
'We don't know.' Dori said softly. 'We came here separately. I haven't seen Gloin and Bifur yet, and Thorin got into trouble with Smaug. I believe Nori and Dwalin are trying to save him.'
'WHAT?!' she shrieked.
'Enya!' Bilbo said, sounding as relieved as scared. 'Thank goodness you're alright. We need your help!' he fretted.
'Bilbo, what is he doing?!' Enya interrupted while grasping the halfling by his shoulders. She knew it was rather rude of her, but right now was not the time to exchange niceties.
Balin merely sadly shook his head, and even sassy Bilbo couldn't provide her with a sensible answer. They all looked very shaken.
'Damnit!' Enya pushed Bilbo aside and ran towards the other side of the room. 'What the hell did he-'
The ground under her shook and from the pit emerged a deep growl. When she passed the iron pillars into the hallway, she saw -thank mahal- Thorin climbing over the edge of a shaft, aided by Nori. They ducked when a great fire blazed from the pit just behind them.
'Go! Go!' Thorin shouted at his comrades and the trio ran as fast as they could towards the forges, visibly terrified by the clamor that was coming from the depths. Enya stopped in her tracks, waiting for them.
Because when the most hardened warriors in middle earth make a run for it, you know its fucking serious.
'Enya!' Thorin growled, grabbing her as he passed by. 'Get out of here! NOW!'
Oh yeah, let's pretend she was the vulnerable component of the group. Enya just narrowed her eyes and folded her arms, grateful that her king was alive, but fuming over the fact he no doubt did some really stupid and/or risky things without her. Thorin caught her gaze and glared at her, but she didn't give in. His emerald orbs, usually full of emotion and giving her a glimpse of his thoughts, seemed more cold and distant. In fact, there was a dullness in them that she hadn't seen earlier and it made her feel quite uncomfortable. She shook off the shiver that shot through her spine and finally blinked. When she caught his gaze again, Thorin slowly exhaled and it almost looked as he came back to himself.
'The plan is not going to work.' Dwalin said, turning to the both of them. 'These furnaces are stone cold.'
'He's right.' Balin agreed as he stepped forward. 'There's no fire hot enough to set them ablaze.'
A low groan escaped her lips and Enya sighed. What? Had these stupid dwarves learn nothing during this trip?! What was the whole point of her tagging along on the journey if they weren't going to profit from her powers?
'Have we not?' she quipped and paced towards the nearest furnace. 'Let's see what I can do for you, gentlemen.'
She ignored the echoes in the distance getting louder and stretched out her hands. If they wanted a great fire, they could get it. An explosion of flames shot from her palms, the heat radiating against her face. The fire engulfed the first furnace and she smiled when it brought to life with a loud rumble.
One down. Only three to go.
But there was no time. The sound of stone crumbling into dust made all of them look between the pillars and they saw Smaug climbing from the pit, his claws crushing the walls. The fire drake crawled over the edge and halted before the pillars. The latticework was huge, but far too narrow to fit a dragon. Enya turned on her heels, locking eyes with the fire drake.
Smaug opened his mouth, ready to pour his flames over them. In the depths of his throat she could see the fire boiling, fuming, ready to be unleashed. But she was ready for it too. Enya shifted her legs further apart to steady her position as her hands reached out to block every single flame that would come from those enormous jaws. She refused to break eye contact and watched as the dragon inhaled.
'TAKE COVER, GO!' Thorin shouted to the rest of the company and they made their way towards the pillars to protect themselves from a fiery death. Enya controlled her breathing, braced herself and-
Next thing she knew, she was knocked off her feet by something sturdy and heavy.
'I tried to keep you safe!' Thorin hissed, pushing her against the floor as the flames blazed just above them. 'Please just for one time LISTEN to me!'
'No, YOU LISTEN!' she bit back as she forcefully rolled on top of him and kept him pinned down. 'He can't beat me at my own game, Thorin. His flames won't hurt me.'
'I won't take that risk!' Thorin raged. 'Stick to the plan.'
'Oh, you mean the plan you forgot to mention to me?!' She spat. 'The plan you were going to execute without me? Or do you mean your plan to have me fucking WAIT in an abandoned and not to mention SECRET corridor and pray someone will stay alive to GET me OUT?!'
Thorin closed his eyes and she knew she really was trying his patience. Enya heaved a sigh. Maybe this exact moment wasn't the best place for a hot-headed fight.
Besides, with a dragon and fire witch in the same area, there was already enough heat present to blow up the entire mountain.
'What do you want me to do?' she inquired softly.
'Distract him.' Thorin murmured in her ear. 'And don't-'
They both gasped as another wave of heat (or in Enya's case, a lukewarm breeze) blazed right over them, the pressure coming of it pushing her firmly against him. She heard everyone in the company yell from the heat and pain that was poured over them. Thorin's hand traveled up to caress her cheek, his roughened thumb trailing over her jawline. His eyes glistened with deep passion. How could he have looked so empty to her just moments before? Her own mind must have deceived her, because right now the dwarf that lay beneath her, loved her more than he loved life itself.
'Don't get roasted.' He ordered gently.
Enya shrugged and a small smile appeared on her lips. 'Not happening, and I expect the same from you. If you let him get you, I'll kill you.'
Thorin shook his head. 'I think you'll find that very difficult, uzfakuh'
'I mean it.' She told him. 'Now go.'
They parted ways rather quickly to prevent another attack. Thorin started shouting orders and Enya she stepped through the iron latticework. Smaug had his eyes on her and his foul breath hissed in her ears, but she didn't bother to directly look at him she strutted towards the middle of the passage. If the fire drake could smell her fear, any of it, she would end up as dinner. The ground shook as the dragon followed her on foot, his claws destroying the surface. Enya made her way to the other half of the hallway. She exhaled slowly and tried to control her trembling body. Then she finally turned on her heels and faced her opponent.
He was a lot closer to her than she would like him to be, his school bus sized head was scarcely ten meters away from the spot where she stood. Smaug had a long snout, pointed nostrils and his jaws consisted of rows of deadly, sharp teeth. The gleaming golden eyes that she had faced just minutes ago, were curiously watching her every move. The rest of his body was huge and she suspected he measured at least sixty meters from head to tail. This fire-drake was clearly designed for destruction, his hide consisting of vibrant reddish golden scales that seemed impregnable and pointed spikes running along his head down to his spine. The pointed and sharp claws were enormous, ready to slice any creature that was stupid enough to cross its path open. The wings did remind Enya a bit of batwings, but then far more deadly of course.
But although Smaug was indeed huge and terrifying, he was definitely nothing compared to Shissa the powerful, the great fire-drake that her grandfather had faced. Shissa certainly had been ten times bigger than the dragon that now stood before her. Also Smaug didn't possess the sass and badass attitude of his ancestor. Oh yes, he was evil and angry, but that was just that. No more layers.
'Oh. Didn't see you there.' She said, making sure she sounded bored as hell. 'So you're the one they call Smaug the… terrible, is it?'
'Who is asking?' the fire-drake rumbled while sitting up straight to show her himself in all his grand mightiness.
His voice was low and the purring undertone he used was clearly designed to feign kindness. Nevertheless the hairs in Enya's neck prickled, her whole body was on edge. She couldn't help but feel like a deer being pounced by a great tiger. One wrong move and she was done for it.
But whatever she did, she couldn't let him show her fear.
'An equal.' She spoke curtly.
'Equal?!' Smaug snorted, visibly amused by her arrogance. 'That surely sounds interesting. Tell me, who is so bold to assume she can exceed the might of me?!'
'Enya Blueheart.' She replied.
The dragon's face twisted in a revolting grin. 'Well, my my. One of the Blueheart family. I've thought you all were extinct, but yet here you are. I've eaten a lot of species, but I've never had the chance to taste a princess.' He stretched his neck, smelling her from close by. 'Yes, a dwarven princess... But what's that other rather strange odor you seem to emit?'
Enya wrinkled her nose when the foul smell of at least a thousand years of bacteria buildup burned through her nostrils. She waved her hand in disgust. 'I might tell you, but only if you close that foul muzzle of yours.'
'For a so-called princess you're not very polite, are you?' he hissed.
Enya grinned and curtseyed quickly . 'What can I say, I wasn't brought up to be one. Excuse me for my manners, oh Smaug the stupendous.'
The fire-drake narrowed his eyes, not believing her shallow civility. 'Flattery won't save your life.' He told her. 'But I must say I'm rather curious about your origins, so speak.'
'I come from a land without magic, or dragons.' She gave in. 'A place where the race of humans exclusively survives.'
'The human race?' Smaug said. 'But how does a princess of the fire beards end up there?'
'Because your ancestors drove us to earth, you hateful piece of filth!' she thought. But instead, she feigned a smile and shrugged, not willing to provide him with the answer he undoubtingly wanted to hear. 'Recently I came back to middle earth.'
'So you claim to have come from a land without magic.' The fire-drake summarized, his eyes fixating on her neck. 'But yet you carry something so valuable. Something that comes from the deepest pits of Nogrod.'
Enya's hand closed around her locket. 'What about it?'
'You don't know?' Smaug taunted her. 'Your family never told you of the locket of the equitem?'
She straightened her back. There was no way in hell Smaug would just casually provide her with valuable information. She knew he was just messing with her, trying to catch her off guard and hurt her, but somewhere in her brain the name sounded awfully familiar.
'Equitem.' she repeated carefully. 'Of course I know of it.'
'Oh yes.' The fire-drake mocked, closing his eyes and his snout curved into a mean smirk. Enya gritted her teeth, not liking the way this conversation was going. That monster was enjoying this far too much.
'So what does it do, Enya Blueheart? Did they tell you that?'
'What of it? Why should I enlighten you, of all creatures, on this subject?' she bit back. 'Do you want it for yourself? Is that it?'
'Let me give you an hint. It's much more useful once it's opened up.' Smaug nagged, ignoring all her questions. 'Inside is something far more preciousss…'
'It can't be opened.' She hissed. 'And even if it could, I would rather die than let you have it.'
'Oh see, but that's where you are wrong…' Smaug told her while creeping closer to her and Enya involuntarily took a step back. 'All you need, Enya Blueheart, is a little… fire.'
Everything happened so fast. Smaug lunged at her, opening his big mouth and unleashing his fiery breath on her. She held out her hands to protect herself and the raging fire came to an halt just inches before her. Like she was holding up this invisible wall.
All that energy had to go somewhere. The fire seemed to bounce back to its creator, raging against Smaug. The pressure of the flames must have been huge, since Enya saw the dragon being pushed a few feet backwards. The great fire-drake growled angrily.
'You can't beat me at my own game, honey.' She scoffed.
'So it seems.' Smaug replied, his eyes still fixed on her locket. 'But so can't you…'
'ENYA!' Thorin yelled at her from the forges. 'NOW!'
That was her sign. Enya ducked out of the way as Smaug lunged at her and she jumped between his front paws, ran under him and exited at his hind legs, nearly escaping a smack from his tail. She blindly shot a stream of water backwards and a enraged growl told her she had hit her mark. Once she passed the latticework again and made it into the forges, she took one moment to catch her breath. Thorin, Dwalin and Nori were on the opposite of the room, beneath the stone dwarven warriors that kept an eye over the furnaces. Thorin was instructing Bilbo to pull a lever on a mount several meters away. She saw Bombur hanging from a chain, working the bellows that were heating the lit furnaces. Balin, Dori and Ori were on her left, busying themselves with stacking pottery carefully into a pile.
'He's coming!' she warned, but her yell was being cut off by a loud thump behind her. Smaug was battering his head against the latticework. Although it was a strong structure, it hadn't been made to hold against a dragon. The iron pillars already started to bend inwards. They all watched in horror as the pillars gave in to Smaug's magnificent strength, the latticework finally splitting open. With his claws the fire-drake pushed the battered ironwork out of his way and barged inside. For a fleeting moment, the monster stopped in his tracks to analyze his surroundings, but then his eyes fell on Bilbo. The dragon hissed and moved forward, fixed on the poor halfling that stood trembling on the mount, his hands reaching for the lever.
But then from the corner of his eyes, Smaug detected Thorin. With a loud growl he went for the dwarf king instead.
'NOW!' Thorin shouted and Bilbo jumped to pull the said lever.
The stone dwarven warriors above them opened their mouths and a tsunami of water poured over the dragon, taking him by surprise. He gurgled and spluttered as he was consumed by the vast amount of water, trying to hold his ground but then crawling slowly backwards. The room was covered in steam as the cold water reacted to the boiling heat in Smaug's stomach.
Enya shot a glance at Thorin, who was anxiously checking the furnaces. He was trying to melt something, but for what? She looked up when jets of water set the watermill into motion, which allowed the two rope conveyer belts to start operating. Some of the buckets hanging above them were still full of ores and precious stones.
Smaug hissed and charged Thorin again, but stopped when a bomb (and another) was smashed against his snout. Dori cheered when he hit the intended mark again, but although the effort was valiant, it didn't really seem to damage their opponent. Smaug merely flapped his wings angrily and shot a wave of fire towards them. Enya jumped in the way and with a mere flick from her hands, the fire lashed backwards. She then blew a storm of snow and ice into the dragon's direction, containing sharp icicles that almost hit him in the eyes. The fire-drake snarled and used his wings to cover himself.
Above them, Gloin emerged from one of the buckets on the conveyer belt (so that's where he had been!) and cut the cord of the belt under him. Various buckets loaded with heavy stones came crashing down on Smaug's neck. The creature cried out, now more angry than ever, and he started bustling around to free himself.
Thorin suddenly moved quickly towards one of the furnaces and pulled on a chain. Melted gold dripped from the furnaces into the troughs in the ground.
'Lead him into the gallery of the kings!' Thorin bellowed while grabbing a wheelbarrow and running towards a main trough. He then jumped into the gold, using the wheelbarrow as a raft.
Smaug managed to free himself and went into a frenzy. He tried to follow Thorin and stomped over a small entrance at the base of the mount where all the troughs of gold joined and were lead from the room. But Thorin had already disappeared. Smaug roared after missing his mark and went after the poor halfling who was still standing on the very same mount.
'Bilbo!' Enya yelled while running towards him. 'JUMP! NOW!'
But the halfling was trembling as a leaf and hesitated for far too long. Enya felt obliged to help him out. A sudden blow tripped him over the edge, but luckily he was caught midair by an icy slope that brought him towards the end of the forges. Enya ran after him and grabbed him by his coat. Together they fled through the exit, not even caring if it lead to where they should be.
Turned out it did. They ran straight into another hallway, this one even more massive than the last. It was adorned with banners, each single one hundreds of meters tall.
'Is this-' Bilbo panted, but he was cut off by an explosion on the wall above them, accompanied by the very fire-drake they tried to outrun. Enya pushed the hobbit forward and redirected the flying rocks as best as she could. Once she discovered that a banner was knocked off the wall, she couldn't prevent Bilbo being caught under it.
Luckily it was just some heavy cloth.
Smaug leapt onto the floor at a crossroad in the middle of the hallway, the true entrance of the lonely mountain to his right. He roared angrily.
'You think you can deceive me, barrel-rider?' he snapped. 'Or you, nasty little Blueheart princess?!'
Enya stilled and saw the cloth near the dragon move, but the latter was too engrossed in his own thoughts to notice.
'You two have come from Laketown!' Smaug established. 'This is some wicked scheme between those filthy dwarves and miserable fishermen! Those fools with their longbows and… black arrows!'
He turned to the entrance of the hall. 'Maybe I should pay them a visit.'
Enya shot forward and Bilbo crawled from his hiding place, simultaneously screaming: 'NO!'
'It isn't their fault!' the hobbit pleaded. 'You cannot go to Laketown!'
'Ah.' The dragon grinned and turned around. 'So you care for them? Good! Then you can watch them die.' He spread his wings and-
Everything happened so fast that Enya couldn't recall why she came up with this, but there she was, strangling an immense dragon, with a whip. It was made out of soil, which made it soft and unyielding at the same time. It was a bold move, mad even, but to her astonishment the earth withheld the powerful creature from taking off. Her fingers dug into the handle, the lash bending and stretching easily as she brought the great serpent down. Enya's heart was pounding in her chest and she was high from all the adrenaline, but she never felt so much more alive.
Ha, who would ever have thought that soil was actually an asset during combat?!
'I don't think so.' She hissed while giving the lash a sharp jerk. 'We have some unfinished business.'
The fire-drake's eyes were glittering with anger as he neared the place where she stood. The whip was still wrung tightly around his neck and although Enya couldn't see any markings yet, she knew even a dragon would have to feel very uncomfortable.
'Very well then.' Smaug spoke. 'You can die first.'
'Another empty threat?' Enya inquired as she saw Bilbo fleeing from the hall towards the balcony on her right. The fire-drake had seen it too and opened his mouth, flames already sweltering inside his throat.
'Really?' Enya snapped. 'Pick someone your own size, you bloody coward!'
The dragon snarled.
A wave of fire met a storm of snow and ice, both elements roaring violently as they clashed. Icicles flew through the air but failed to reach their mark as the fire-drake crushed them with his claws. He then lunged forward.
His mouth was wide open, ready to devour anything in his path. Enya snapped her fingers and a gush of wind whirled around the room, flying straight into the dragon's jaws. Her hands flicked gracefully and with a soft thump, what previously been air changed into its true form.
The eyes of the dragon almost jumped from their caskets once he realized what she had done. He roared aggressively and with a deafening cough he spat a pile of dirt into the hall. Enya quickly jumped behind a row of pillars on her left to evade the tornado of wind and soil. She crept along the balcony towards the junction and bit her lip in an attempt not to laugh. Once she got there, she glanced over the room and weighed her chances. Smaug was on her right, still spitting out dirt while the smoke was fuming from his nostrils. The passage on her left was, compared to the gallery, not very long and far from finished. An enormous statue of what looked like a warrior stood at the end, the vast stone masonry still evidently under construction as it was held together by wooden scaffolding.
Her heart skipped a beat. On the shoulder of the figure stood a dwarf, holding himself upright with a chain.
Thorin.
But what on earth was he doing there? Where was the rest of the company? Enya quickly crossed the passage to get to the other side of the gallery. She felt Thorin's eyes prickling on her back, but she refused to make eye contact. This was her fight and she wanted him to wait with whatever his plan was until the last minute. She held out her hand and blew a gush of wind his way. The whisper floated through the void, delivering her message to her One.
'Stay put. I got this.'
'You dirty little witch!' Smaug boomed, but the frog in his throat made his voice go up and down in an unbelievable funny manner.
Enya giggled and the dragon growled furiously. 'Where are you?! You have no honor.' He hissed. 'I'll make you suffer.'
'And you, my lad, just ate dirt.' Enya told him, reappearing behind him. She smirked when the dragon turned, but then barked again.
'Need cough syrup?' she asked.
Fire met fire. An explosion thundered through the room, the blazing heat scorched past her body and the pressure of the two forces coming together almost swept her off her feet. Enya gritted her teeth and she pushed the flames forward, entrapping the dragon in a fiery pit. But the fire-drake merely laughed devilishly, the flames not hurting him.
'You can fight me all you want, little witch.' He belittled her. 'But you'll never kill me. You don't have the strength.'
Enya exhaled slowly and the flames around the dragon disappeared. Her hands arched a little and with that, a violent wind howled through the hall. The wind grew louder, stronger and the fire-drake spread his claws to steady his position, but he couldn't help but slip away.
'Oh honey, but that's where you're wrong.' Enya bellowed above the sound. 'See, my ancestors fought off far greater fire drakes than you.'
She took a step towards him. 'And you, my friend, you have a serious superiority complex.'
Maybe Smaug didn't really know what that meant or maybe he did, because he flapped his wings aggressively, the movement messing up Enya's hurricane. Enya clenched her jaw and eyed the dragon while calculating her next move. Her palms filled with flames.
Smaug snorted.
'So tell me, Enya Blueheart.' He rumbled. 'The longer I am in your presence, the more intrigued I become. You possess a bit of power, but yet you're here, biting off more than you can chew.'
The only sound in the hall was the crackling of fire.
'What's in it for you?' Smaug taunted, spurred on by her silence. 'What did Oakenshield promise you?'
Enya gritted her teeth. It was obvious the dragon tried to provoke her again and whatever she would say, it wasn't worth it.
'Did he offer you a share of the treasure?' the fire-drake needled.
Ugh, she couldn't help herself. 'I'm not as superficial as you, thank you very much.' she finally snapped.
'Oh… then it must be love that has driven you on this foolish quest!' the dragon nagged while moving closer to her again. 'You think he loves you.'
Enya scoffed. 'Oh and I suppose you're the one who can tell me everything there's to know about love, you despicable serpent?'
'Love is for the weak, my dear princess.' Smaug purred, lowering his head to meet her face to face. 'And the only thing Oakenshield's in love with, is the King's jewel.'
Her hands acted out before she registered the meaning of the vile words spoken to her. A flood of water flew into the dragon's snout and he shot up with a disgusted growl. Enya's fingers twirled and a solid rope wound itself several times along the fire-drake's legs and claws. Smaug hissed and tried to break free, but every time he managed to cut one cord, another one grew back.
'Maybe you should stop talking and start paying attention.' Enya told the dragon. He was sitting up straight, like a circus lion, and glaring at her.
Pff. If looks could kill…
She crouched down and touched the floor with her hands. Little frost flowers appeared and Enya watched as they formed a trail towards her opponent. The ice got thicker as it proceeded. Cracking sounds filled the air as the snow crystals grew over the dragon's front claws.
'Beautiful. But worthless.' Smaug scolded with a revolting grin, while watching the ice. 'Your efforts are fruitless, little princess.'
'Oh honey, everyone has got a weak spot.' Enya retorted. 'And I'll find yours in no time, no worries.'
'Do you really think you can stand a chance against the lure of the Arkenstone?' the fire-drake continued, ignoring her remarks. 'Trust me, you're nothing compared to the King's Jewel…'
'NO! ENYA!'
Thorin's call made the grip of the rope falter and the ice retreat an inch. And in that fleeting moment, that second she lost her focus, the dragon ripped himself free and lunged at her.
'Eat shit, you fucking narcissist!' Enya yelled while jumping aside to evade his mouth.
Smaug roared in anger and another wave of fire blasted through the room. Enya braced herself, her fingers bending into claws as she blocked the fire with an icy wall. The two elements sizzled as they met and blazing steam filled up the gallery, masking the fire-drake from her view. Enya waved her hands and the fog floated another way, but it already was too late.
She didn't see the tail coming.
'My dear Enya, please wake up.' A soft voice spoke.
Her eyelids fluttered, the voice slowly pulling her from her slumber. A dark blue sky filled with greyish clouds came into vision. There was roaring in the distance. Humans were screaming, followed by the deafening sound of wood, bones and stone being crushed into nothing. A thick smell of smoke and fire penetrated her nostrils. For a moment Enya felt like she was floating in the air and although she was acknowledging the incentives that were invading her senses, she didn't really feel a part of her surroundings.
Then a kind and familiar face came into view. Chestnut brown locks. Piercing blue eyes, just like hers. A hand held out in front of her.
'Oh my god! Grandpa!' she cried out while scrambling herself together. 'How is this possible…?' she looked around, eyeing the fire and devastation that was going on down below. She blinked. She appeared to be outside the mountain at the old overlook, looking down at the chaos. She hesitated before speaking the words she dreaded to ask.
'Am I dead?'
Emrak gently pulled her up on her feet. 'No, you're not. You're just unconscious. Bilbo will be able to wake your body up in a few minutes.'
'Again?!' Enya grumbled while massaging her temples. 'That happens a lot to me lately.'
Her grandfather shrugged. 'Well, it's the hazard that comes with the job. Things will try to hurt you and if you're not careful enough, bad things will follow.' He heaved a sigh and glanced down below, where the dragon Smaug was wreaking havoc to Laketown and its poor inhabitants.
'Oh, fuck me!' Enya cursed. 'I'm so stupid! I didn't see his tail coming at me!'
'Fighting a dragon is no easy task, even a tiny exemplar like him.' Emrak mused. 'I personally had a hard time keeping track of the whereabouts of all those limbs.'
'Oh my god, I failed!' She fretted. 'I let him get to me and now I failed all of you. People will die because of my stupidity!'
'They would have died already if it wasn't for you, little one.' Her grandfather replied while putting an arm around his granddaughter. 'We're no gods. All we can do is our best to protect our people.'
Enya didn't reply, but just stood there, momentarily enjoying the presence of her long gone grandfather.
'Thorin saved you by distracting the fire-drake.' Emrak filled her in. 'Then Bilbo ran from his hiding place to heave you up to the balcony and keep you hidden.'
Her heart swelled for her One and her favorite hobbit.
'They're both alive and well.' Her grandfather continued. 'But now it's your turn to finish what you started.'
'How?' Enya exasperated. 'I tried fire, but he's immune to that. My water and ice are definitely annoying the life out of him, but not enough to kill him instantly. What am I supposed to do? Blow him into a ravine? He was wings! Throw dirt at him? Strangle him again? He doesn't care!'
Emrak smirked. 'Then it's rather obvious, isn't it?'
'We'll go for the dirt then.' Enya sighed and bit her lip. 'I feel like I'm short-sighted, that I'm not doing enough to-'
She froze in her tracks when she heard a mighty rumbling in the distance.
'No, I can't.' she mumbled. 'You were so fucking powerful and even you died, how could I possibly survive?'
'Yes, I was powerful.' Emrak agreed. But so are you, and you're nothing like me. You're strong, kindhearted, witty and gentle. You know your weaknesses and you're not afraid to speak about the things that haunt you. You're finally able to see how it feels to be loved, truly and wholly.'
'But how does that make me-'
'You're getting in sync with who you are, my granddaughter.' Emrak said, beaming. 'And we're so proud of you. Your grandmother and I are delighted that we're able to guide you on your path. We're so honored to see you grow into the fire witch you're meant to be.'
'But…' Enya whispered. 'I'm…'
Emrak smiled, tears welling in his eyes. 'You're doing perfectly fine, Enya. You've always done what's right. You won't make the same mistake as I did. Now, MY only regret is that I wasn't alive long enough to see your mother Ailva and after her, you, growing up.'
The tears were rolling down her cheeks and Enya pulled her grandfather in a hug.
'I'm so sorry you couldn't save Nogrod.' She whispered.
'Nogrod was beyond repair.' Emrak replied. 'But Erebor isn't. Destroy the dragon and protect your destiny. Then head for Nogrod and take the locket of Equitem with you.'
'It's always with me.' Enya said.
Emrak grinned. 'Good. And so are we. If you ever doubt yourself again, look inside.' He pointed at the locket on her chest.
Enya had hundreds of questions, no a thousand even, but before she could open her mouth her grandfather was gone.
And she knew what to do…